From Bare Metal to Cloud: A Journey of Server Evolution and Lessons Learned
Chapter 1: The Birth of a Bare Metal Server
In 2019, armed with determination and a desire for exploration, I embarked on a fascinating journey into the realm of server administration. With an old laptop powered by an Intel Celeron processor and a mere 2GB of RAM, I took my first steps into the world of hosting my own web applications, including a Gitea self-hosted repository server. It was a challenging yet exhilarating experience as I delved into the intricacies of port forwarding and utilized an Nginx reverse proxy to manage multiple web applications. However, as time passed, the limitations of my hardware became increasingly apparent. The server’s performance suffered due to internet and HDD bottlenecks, leading me to seek a more robust solution.
Chapter 2: Embracing the Cloud
In 2022, I embarked on a new chapter in my server administration journey by joining the Bangkit Cloud Computing learning path. This immersive experience provided me with a wealth of knowledge about cloud computing, with a specific focus on Google Cloud. Armed with newfound insights, I began the process of migrating my server step-by-step to the cloud, leveraging the advantages it offered.
Chapter 3: Unleashing the Power of the Cloud
As I embraced the cloud, I discovered the transformative power of SSD performance for block storage, which is mostly dealing with random I/O data, and bucket object storage for media files or any sequential data. These improvements allowed my web applications to operate at lightning-fast speeds, eliminating the performance bottlenecks that had plagued my previous setup. Furthermore, the ability to scale up resources, both manually and automatically, provided me with unprecedented flexibility and ensured that my server could handle increasing demands as my projects grew.
Chapter 4: An Unexpected Setback and a Valuable Lesson
Graduating from Bangkit marked a significant milestone in my journey. However, this achievement was accompanied by an unexpected setback—a breach of my private cloud server through an SSH brute force attack. Determined to turn this incident into a learning opportunity, I revisited the lessons taught in Bangkit’s technical skill class, specifically focusing on cloud security and containerization for easy backup. Thanks to ILT sessions, I can redeploy it easily.
Chapter 5: Strengthening Security and Streamlining Operations
Equipped with my newly acquired knowledge, I devised a comprehensive security strategy to protect my server. I implemented robust firewall rules and adopted password-less login mechanisms, ensuring that only authorized access was granted. Additionally, I leveraged containerization techniques to enhance security and facilitate seamless backups, offering peace of mind and simplifying my server administration processes.
Epilogue: A Continual Journey of Growth
My journey from a humble bare metal server to a secure and scalable cloud infrastructure has been one of continuous growth and learning. The challenges I encountered along the way have shaped me into a more resilient and knowledgeable server administrator. Armed with the insights gained from my experiences, I look forward to future endeavors, confident in my ability to navigate the ever-evolving world of server administration.
